Slack adjuster



June 8 1926. 1,588,145 V w. H. SAUVAGE SLACK ADJUSTER Filed May 17. 1924 R} N w w a l g Patented June 8, 1926.

UNITE STATES PATENT orrica;

WILLIAIVI SAUVAGE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AS SIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGINMENTS, TO

THE GOULD COUPLER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

SLACK ADJUSTER.

Application filed May 17,

A further object is to provide a slack adjuster of the above type of durable construction, and having relatively few parts whiohmay be inexpensively manufactured and assembled. r i A further object isto provide a slack ac fjuster of the above type adapted to automatically take up and hold the excess travel of the brake rigging during each complete operation and release of the brakes Other objects will be in part obvlous from the annexed drawings and in part indicated in connection therewith by the following analysis of the invention. I

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of parts and in the unique relation of the members and in the relative proport oning and disposition thereof, all as'more completely outlined herein. v

To enable others skillediin the art so fully to comprehend the underlying features in order that they may embody the same by numerousmodifications in structure and relation contemplated by this invention, a drawing depicting a preferred form has been annexed as part of this disclosure illustrating such parts of the truck brake rigging and slack adjuster in side elevation and partly in section as is necessary to understand the invention.

In this drawing, 1' indicates" the truck frame provided with a transverse bolster 2, one set of wheels being indicated at 8, with which brake shoes 4 are adapted to co-act. These brake shoes are carried by the usual brake beams 5 and are actuated by the live and dead levers 6 and 7 respectively. The lower ends of these levels are connected by a push rod Sand the upper end of the live lever 6 is connected by means of a pull rod 10 with the brake actuated mechanism. Associated with the upper pivot 11 of this live leverv is a rod 12 having a'lost motion de- 1924, Serial No. 714,166.

vice such as loop 13 at one end to insure brake shoe clearance during the actuation which meets with. a rod 17 flexibly con-' n-ected as by means of a chain '18 with the point 20 at the upper-end of the dead lever 7. Supported by the truck frame or draft sill indicated at 21 is "a housing 2200mprising two tubular chambers 23, each provided with aplunger and piston 2 1 and a coiled spring 25, reacting against the end wall 26 of the casing- 3 The rods 27 extend through this end wall andare anchored in the plate 15; a a I I VK ithin the member 22 is a central housing '28 containing'permanent holding dogs 29 which co-act with the adjustingrod 17.

,ing a temporary take up and holding dog l6 The holding dog 16 'anddogs 29 ixrepreferably rectangular pieces of metal having perforations through which the rod 17 passes and areheld at-one side against movement While the opposite sides are free to move against the action of springs 30 and 31 respectively, each operating to hold the dogs in normal actuated position or in biting engagement with, the rod 17. Y

Heretofore, as hasbeen explained in my prior patent, the springs 25 were of different strength, but in the present construction greater reliability and efiiciency is obtained by making these springs of substantially the same strength whereby the end member 15 moves outwardly ina substantially straight line on applicationo'f the brakes when excess travel occurs. In order that this operation may be more clearly understood, a brief statement thereof is as'follows: On application of the.

brakes the upper endoffthe live lever 6 moves relatively towards the left a'sufiicient distance to bring the brake shoes d'in'to engagement-with the wheels 3. If, however,

due to excessive wear of the parts, the live brake lever moves a greater distance than provided for by the lostmotion slot 13, then the rod 12 moves toward the leftca-rrying with it the member 15 and'the dog-'16 slides freely along'the rod 17 in that direction only. A movement of the member 15 causes an-op eration or compression of the springs 25 in both housings. I

WVhen the brakes are released the brake as shown. Inasmuch, however, as the dog 16 is not free to slide in a direction relatively towards the r'fiht, it grips the rod,

l? and mo res the S1138 therewith freely through the perrmi-nent take up and holding dogs 29 an amount exactly equal to the ex ce a travel. of the brake rigging during the PlQCGClll'W application,

' In this manner, the slack is taken up from time to time as ezrcess wear occurs until it is necessary to replace the worn brake shoes whereupon the dogs 16 and 29 are tripped by the insertion of any convenient tool into therespective housings and the rod 17. is freeto be moved towards the left to its original position. On the first application, after the. new brake shoes have been applied, all ofthe excess slack other than that provided for by the lost, motion slot 13 is taken up, first, bythe temporary dog 16 and then bythe permanent holding dog 29.

It will, thus be seen thatthe present invention comprehends a simple and practical device'well adapted to accomplish among others all of the objects and advantages herein set forth. 7

NVithout further analysis. the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of this invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting certain features that, from the standpoint of the prior art, fair- 1y constituteessential characteristics ofthe generic or specific aspects of this invention, and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, in combination, brake levers, a permanent take up and holding device associated therewith, comprising a holding rod, a take up dog co-acting with said holding rod, a tem porary dog acting. upon said rod and freely movable relative thereto on excess travel of the brakes, and two springs ofsubstantially equal tension adapted to be compressedonexcess travel and to move the take up rod relative to the permanent take up dog when the brakes are released.

2. In a device of the character described, in combination, live and dead levers, a take up rod connected to the upper end of the dead lever, an adjusting rod connected with the upper end of the live lever, temporary and permanent take up mechanisms supported from the truck including two sets of dogs co-acting with said take up rod, one of which acts on excess travel on application of the brakes, and the other of which acts on release of the brakesja nd two springs of substantialy equal tension adapted to be compressed for inovingtheadjusting rod relatively to the permanent take up dogs on release of the brakes.

8. Ina device of the character described,

in combination, live and dead levers, a take.

up "rod flexibly connected with the upper end of the dead lever, an adjusting rod having a lost motion connection with the upperend of the live lever, permanent and temporary take up and holding means sup ported from the truck frame and comprising two parts relatively movable to each other on excess travel, yielding connections be tween said parts including two springs of substantially equal tension adapted to be compressed on excess movement and to expand on release ofthe brakes, thereby allowing the temporary holding means to act on applicationof the brakes and the permanent take up means to act on release of i the brakes,

4-, In a device of the character described, in combination, brake levers, a permanent take-up and holding device associated there with, comprising a casing having a central housing and a plurality of chambers formed therein, a holding rod extending thru said housing, a take-up dog coacting with said holding rod, a temporary dog acting upon said rod and freely movable relative thereto upon excess travel of the brakes, and springs of substantially equal tension position in said chambers and adapted to be compressed on excess travel and to move the take-up rod relatively to the permanent take-up dog when the brakes are released.

5. In a device of the character described, in combination, live and dead levers, a member supported from the truck frame, comprising a fixed housing and a movable housing associated therewith, a take-up rod flexibly connected with the upper end of the dead lever and extending thru both of said housings, an adjusting rod having at one end a lost motion connection with the upper end of the live lever and being joined at its other end to said movable housing, yielding connections'between the housings including springs ofsubstantially equal tension n10 unted in chambers in said fixed housing, and

adapted to be compressed on excess movement and to expand on release of the brakes, a temporary dog in said movable housing adapted to engage said take-up rod upon application of the brakes and being freely movable relative thereto during such excess travel, and a permanent take up and holding dog mounted in said fired housing and adapted to engage said take-up rod upon release of the brakes.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name. I

WILLIAM H. SAUV AGE 

